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Seller's Guide

A Step-by-Step First Time Seller's Guide

Putting your home on the market can be a stressful process, especially when you don’t know what to expect. Fortunately, with the help of an experienced agent and this easy to follow guide, you can smoothly complete the process. Following these steps will help you prepare so you can get organized and sell your home for the best price possible.​​​​​​​

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Step 1: Understand Why You're Selling

What do you want to accomplish with the sale of your home? Do you want to make a certain amount of money that you can put toward a larger or nicer home? Do you need to sell it as soon as possible to facilitate a move to a new city or area? Once you understand your needs, you can better craft your offer. For example, if you need to sell quickly, you might want to price your home lower than if your goal is to make a certain profit margin. Make sure you convey these needs to your real estate agent once you choose one so he or she can adjust your selling price accordingly.

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Step 2: Determine Selling Price

Knowing how to price your home is one of the most important parts of the selling process. When you set a fair price in the beginning, you’ll get the most interest from other real estate agents and prospective buyers. Overpricing your home could lead to reduced interest, and underpricing leads to receiving less than what your home is worth. Working with a real estate agent is the best way to determine the right selling price for your home. An agent with experience can determine what other comparable homes are selling for, evaluate the current market, and may even suggest a home appraisal.

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Step 3: Start Preparations

If you’ve kept your home in showroom condition since you’ve lived in it, you’re in the minority of homeowners. Once you price your home, it’s time to start getting it ready to be shown to potential buyers. This includes getting rid of clutter, depersonalizing the space so that buyers can envision themselves in the space, making any small repairs, and doing a deep clean to make sure your home is in pristine condition.

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Step 4: Develop a Marketing Strategy

I will develop a marketing strategy that is perfect for advertising your home. This involves listing the home and then driving the right people to that listing through social media campaigns, agent-to-agent referrals, traditional media, or SEO advertising. My team creates a marketing campaign that aims to get the most possible traffic to your listing in the first three weeks after becoming a client.

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Step 5: Evaluate Offers

Receiving an offer is an exciting part of the process, but it doesn’t mean the journey is over. I will evaluate each offer and make sure the party making the offer is prequalified or pre-approved by a mortgage lender and that their offer is acceptable to you. If the offer is too low, you can make a counter-offer or offer other ways to bridge the gap, such as covering some or all of the closing costs, making repairs, adjusting the move-in date, or leaving some appliances or fixtures for the new buyer.

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Step 6: Accept an Offer

Once I deem the offer is acceptable, I will review the proposed contract to make sure it’s all in order and includes the necessary components such as deposit amount, down payment, financing, inspection rights and repair allowances, contingencies, settlement date, and a list of fees and who will pay them. When both parties have agreed to the term, a final contract will be prepared by your agent.

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Step 7: Get Ready to Close

You have accepted an offer and are now very close to the end of your selling journey. But first, you and the buyer must make a list of what needs to be done before closing. In some cases, your home may need to be formally inspected, surveyed, and appraised. In other cases, major or minor repairs will need to be made before the house can close. I will head up efforts to develop and execute this list, get each action item paid for by the correct party, and make sure everything is in order by the closing date. A few days before the closing date, I will call the company closing the transaction to make sure everything is ready to go. If you haven’t done so already, you also need to make arrangements to move out of the home so the new buyer can take possession.

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Step 8: Close

You’ve reached the last step in the seller’s process. When you close on a home you are selling, you are legally transferring ownership of the property to the new buyer. I will meet with the company closing the transaction to sign the final paperwork and go over any issues that have not yet been taken care of. During this time, you can also make plans with your real estate agent to handle final details such as canceling utilities, cable, and lawn or trash services, changing the name on accounts that the new owner is retaining and ensuring the new owner has instructions for all appliances that will remain in the home.

Congratulations!

Once you have sold your home, you’re free to take the next step on your journey. Whether this is relocating to a new city, moving into a larger home, or downsizing and enjoying your life as empty-nesters, knowing all your selling responsibilities have been taken care of will help you achieve peace of mind for your new path.

Testimonials

"Bill is the best real estate broker I ever worked with. He is honest, very responsive, and holds very high professional standards. Being a long-time veteran in the industry, he is very helpful in helping me get the contractors I need for staging and improving the home, handling various unexpected situations, and contributing ideas to the negotiation table. Working with Bill feels like working with a close friend who truly cares about getting you the best offer, instead of simply making the deal happen. Even though my home value is lower than the average home value he normally deals with, Bill still provided unreserved attention to my case. I am very happy that I chose Bill as my broker, he is someone you can trust."
"Bill is the best real estate broker I ever worked with. He is honest, very responsive, and holds very high professional standards. Being a long-time veteran in the industry, he is very helpful in helping me get the contractors I need for staging and improving the home, handling various unexpected situations, and contributing ideas to the negotiation table. Working with Bill feels like working with a close friend who truly cares about getting you the best offer, instead of simply making the deal happen. Even though my home value is lower than the average home value he normally deals with, Bill still provided unreserved attention to my case. I am very happy that I chose Bill as my broker, he is someone you can trust."
Jay H.
"Bill deserves five stars for the above categories. In addition, he deserves five stars for his thoughtfulness and graciousness. He listened carefully to my needs and concerns. Everything he managed including the staging for the photographs was exemplary and I believe helped sell the home. The house sold very quickly because of his superb negotiation skills. I was very pleased with the whole experience. Bill is a solid professional and I trusted him totally."
"Bill deserves five stars for the above categories. In addition, he deserves five stars for his thoughtfulness and graciousness. He listened carefully to my needs and concerns. Everything he managed including the staging for the photographs was exemplary and I believe helped sell the home. The house sold very quickly because of his superb negotiation skills. I was very pleased with the whole experience. Bill is a solid professional and I trusted him totally."
Margitich
"We worked with Bill to purchase our home in Weston Ct. Even though Bill worked as the agent for the seller, and we went directly to Bill without our own broker, He treated us as if he was working for us. It was a complicated deal and took several months to close, and Bill was with us every step of the way to make sure everything went smoothly. He gave us invaluable advise on every single minute detail of purchasing and maintaining our new home. We know we can keep asking Bill questions about maintaining our home for as long as we need, and we are confident he will keep giving us good advice. If you are looking for a knowledgeable and caring broker, Bill Martin is the perfect candidate."
"We worked with Bill to purchase our home in Weston Ct. Even though Bill worked as the agent for the seller, and we went directly to Bill without our own broker, He treated us as if he was working for us. It was a complicated deal and took several months to close, and Bill was with us every step of the way to make sure everything went smoothly. He gave us invaluable advise on every single minute detail of purchasing and maintaining our new home. We know we can keep asking Bill questions about maintaining our home for as long as we need, and we are confident he will keep giving us good advice. If you are looking for a knowledgeable and caring broker, Bill Martin is the perfect candidate."
Sanjay
"We worked with Bill for over a year to find a Fairfield County rental and then a home to buy. His market knowledge and experience turned out to be invaluable. Beyond this, we appreciated his responsiveness as we combed the available properties – he was very prompt and efficient in organizing appointments, and proactive in following up with selling brokers when we had questions. He offered helpful insights into different towns and neighborhoods, as well as their pros and cons, and frequently went beyond the job description to make sure we got the guidance and expertise we needed at various stages. In particular, his advice during closing and post-closing went way beyond the call of duty. Months after we moved in, we continued to rely on many of the service providers which he recommended. He is also delightful company – which is important when you spend many hours touring homes. Above all, we were fortunate to have a broker who maintains consistently high standards of professionalism – which is especially challenging once COVID complicated the process, and not always a given in a market that has gone through unprecedented turmoil."
"We worked with Bill for over a year to find a Fairfield County rental and then a home to buy. His market knowledge and experience turned out to be invaluable. Beyond this, we appreciated his responsiveness as we combed the available properties – he was very prompt and efficient in organizing appointments, and proactive in following up with selling brokers when we had questions. He offered helpful insights into different towns and neighborhoods, as well as their pros and cons, and frequently went beyond the job description to make sure we got the guidance and expertise we needed at various stages. In particular, his advice during closing and post-closing went way beyond the call of duty. Months after we moved in, we continued to rely on many of the service providers which he recommended. He is also delightful company – which is important when you spend many hours touring homes. Above all, we were fortunate to have a broker who maintains consistently high standards of professionalism – which is especially challenging once COVID complicated the process, and not always a given in a market that has gone through unprecedented turmoil."
Paloma B.
"In a very competitive market, Bill was able to help us negotiate a price below the asking price. He is thoughtful and understands our needs. He is knowledgeable of the community and all it has to offer. He is also a great resource after the sale in helping us find everything we needed such as landscapers, electricians, etc. I recommend him without reservation and continue to keep in touch with him."
"In a very competitive market, Bill was able to help us negotiate a price below the asking price. He is thoughtful and understands our needs. He is knowledgeable of the community and all it has to offer. He is also a great resource after the sale in helping us find everything we needed such as landscapers, electricians, etc. I recommend him without reservation and continue to keep in touch with him."
Fernaine G.
"I have met several brokers in New York City over my lifetime, but none thus far have compelled me to write a letter of recommendation until I met one very special individual. Bill Martin had successfully effectuated the sale of my Manhattan apartment with one of the most difficult and notorious coop boards. His experience, creativity, and confidence allowed me to have total trust in his ability to perform a successful sale at a price I didn't think was possible. In my opinion, Bill's knowledge of the New York City real estate market and dedication to his profession is unparalleled. Bill's patience, integrity, and empathy for my personal circumstances gave me the confidence to trust him as a professional. The transaction was done in a timely manner and surpassed my expectations. Simply said, Bill embodies all of the best qualities and is a shining example of excellence in all aspects. He is one in a million!"
"I have met several brokers in New York City over my lifetime, but none thus far have compelled me to write a letter of recommendation until I met one very special individual. Bill Martin had successfully effectuated the sale of my Manhattan apartment with one of the most difficult and notorious coop boards. His experience, creativity, and confidence allowed me to have total trust in his ability to perform a successful sale at a price I didn't think was possible. In my opinion, Bill's knowledge of the New York City real estate market and dedication to his profession is unparalleled. Bill's patience, integrity, and empathy for my personal circumstances gave me the confidence to trust him as a professional. The transaction was done in a timely manner and surpassed my expectations. Simply said, Bill embodies all of the best qualities and is a shining example of excellence in all aspects. He is one in a million!"
Seller
"It was an absolute pleasure having Bill Martin as our real estate agent for our home. We had a custom-built home with lots of detail and Bill learned and relayed all of those details to potential buyers. He listens and acts appropriately, He was always available and very quick in returning all our calls. He is a super professional, has an amazing attitude, always dresses beautifully, and always arrived early to open up the house and make it beautiful and full of sunshine. I can go on and on If you are looking for someone to represent you and your home, he is the one. We will miss working with him."
"It was an absolute pleasure having Bill Martin as our real estate agent for our home. We had a custom-built home with lots of detail and Bill learned and relayed all of those details to potential buyers. He listens and acts appropriately, He was always available and very quick in returning all our calls. He is a super professional, has an amazing attitude, always dresses beautifully, and always arrived early to open up the house and make it beautiful and full of sunshine. I can go on and on If you are looking for someone to represent you and your home, he is the one. We will miss working with him."
Susan T.
"If you are looking for someone who truly demonstrates a passion for client satisfaction in all things related to real estate transactions, you need to look no further. From the day you meet Bill, to the day you find that home that checks all the boxes. He is with you, working for you, every single step of the way. His communication is impeccable. His negotiation skills are customer-driven, direct, and exemplary. With Bill, you not only feel as though you have a tremendously talented professional by your side but sometimes even more importantly just a friend."
"If you are looking for someone who truly demonstrates a passion for client satisfaction in all things related to real estate transactions, you need to look no further. From the day you meet Bill, to the day you find that home that checks all the boxes. He is with you, working for you, every single step of the way. His communication is impeccable. His negotiation skills are customer-driven, direct, and exemplary. With Bill, you not only feel as though you have a tremendously talented professional by your side but sometimes even more importantly just a friend."
Kevin O.
"I really enjoyed working with Bill on the sale of my apartment in South Harlem. He was always responsive, knowledgeable, helpful, and professional, and ultimately negotiated a deal I was very pleased with."
"I really enjoyed working with Bill on the sale of my apartment in South Harlem. He was always responsive, knowledgeable, helpful, and professional, and ultimately negotiated a deal I was very pleased with."
Seller

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